Thursday, April 16, 2015

The Stockings - Red Tango (1981, Rough Diamond)

I've got an Aussie import for you today that I was compelled to track down upon stumbling across an MP3 of The Stockings'"(She's a) Devil." Hailing from Australia's left coast, this Perth combo indulged in driving, albeit straitlaced power pop/wave without resorting to any obvious gimmicks, not unlike contemporary country-mates the Serious Young Insects, who I featured a spell or two back. The title track, which opens this thing up, is less than substantive, but once it passes, Red Tango is predominantly if not completely good news. In addition to the aforementioned "(She's a) Devil," "Good Luck,""Boy Girl," and "Limbo" persuade me just as much. I'm detecting negligible traces of XTC and Joe Jackson among others, but your results may vary. An ep and some singles surrounded Red Tango, but it appears the album's track list overlaps heavily. At any rate, enjoy (or not).

I came across The Stockings on a cd compilation called Pop Power From the Garage: Australian Power Pop 74-86 and thought it was an XTC tribute totally! Now I need to track down a physical copy of my own! Thanks W.O.!!